


After

by TigerOfTheTundra



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Handplates, sibling interactions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 22:59:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6348988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerOfTheTundra/pseuds/TigerOfTheTundra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their first escape attempt, in the quiet of their cell...</p>
            </blockquote>





	After

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Handplates](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/184732) by Zarla-s. 



> This would take place right after: http://zarla-s.tumblr.com/post/140885719502/previously-horseshoes-and-hand-grenades-sans

Gaster rushed them both in, with an extra shove from his magic that sent the skeletons sprawling. Sans lay where he fell, curled in on himself, as Papyrus slowly propped himself up. The doorway beams crackled into place with a snap. Gaster barely spared than a look before he disappeared down the hall, footsteps echoing with each sharp pat. The lights shut off shortly after, leaving only the glow of the doorway and Papyrus’ panting. He ached all over, but he stared up at the dark panel where the hall light usually glowed. It… hadn’t been that long today… had…?

“TH-THE LIGHTS ARE… I THINK—BROTHER, I THINK IT’S—” He turned and shifted weight to his knee, sending a spiral of pain through it. He fell black, clutching the hurting bone. It still hurt so much! His brother looked up slowly, a sideways look at him. To Papyrus’ surprise, tear tracks still streaked his brother’s face. He opened his mouth to say something, something to comfort his brother, but the words stuck.

“bro, i…” Sans almost fell from that word, back into his own huddled form, “i’m sorry… i… i just…” His voice broke, and he rubbed his face. From the side of the room, Pap shifted into a more comfortable spot and rubbed his leg. He glanced out at the empty hallway.

“I-I THINK THE DOCTOR HAS GONE FOR THE NIGHT,” he offered. He wanted to change the subject, talk about something different. Only the doorway beams filled the silence. “UM…” He couldn’t think of any more to say, but he had to say something.

“you don’t…” Sans wiped his eye again, still not quite looking over. Papyrus twisted his gown in his hands. “you don’t have to…”

“PLEASE DON’T BE MAD AT ME,” Papyrus exclaimed.

His brother stiffened. “b-bro, why, why would…”

“I DON’T KNOW,” he admitted, rubbing his arms. “IT’S JUST YOU WEREN’T LOOKING AT ME, AND WE WERE, WE WERE IN TROUBLE, AND HE WAS M-MAD…” Darn it, now he’d started to cry, heaving hiccupy breaths too heavy to talk through. He scrubbed at his eye sockets with his non-sore hand. Arms snaked around him, startling him; he hadn’t even heard Sans slip over to him. 

“don’t ever, ever care what that…” Sans trailed off, his hug tight and angry around Papyrus’ ribs. “…what that jerk thinks. h-he…” With a frustrated grunt, Sans let his shoulders drop. Papyrus just hugged him back, burying his face in his brothers shoulder. 

“ARE… ARE YOU MAD?” he finally asked, hiding in his brother’s hug.

“no, no… bro, i could never be mad at you, you didn’t…” If either child had lungs, they’d have been squashed by the strength of the other’s grip. Papyrus felt a wavering smile form as he curled around his brother. He wasn’t mad. He, at least, at least his brother was here, here and okay, this was okay. Pap smiled, for real, then peeked his eyes open.  
“NEVER EVER?” he asked, trying to keep his voice soft with sincerity.

“never, bro.” But Sans looked up, a tilt to his head all of a sudden. Pap grinned at him.

“NOT EVEN IF I DO THIS?” He dug his fingers into Sans’ ribs and wriggled them mercilessly. Sans let out a squack, twisting around to escape.

“ack, no!” he laughed. “how could you, bro?” Another twist, and Sans almost got away. Papyrus rolled with it to keep his brother within reach, grinning.

“YOU’LL NEVER GET AWAY FROM ME,” he called. “VICTORY IS MINE! NYEH HEH~!” Sans wriggled under his tickle attack, laughing so hard tears rolled down his cheek bones.

“but… what if… i don’t wanna… get away!” With a sudden move, Sans freed his arms and began tickling Papyrus right back, sending his brother into a frantic, uncontrolled retreat.

“NO, YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME.” But he was laughing too hard, and his body jerked and flailed to escape his brother. He rolled hard to the side and slammed his sore arm into the wall. “AAHH!”

“bro! ah, bro, i’m sorry i’m sorry.” Sans helped him upright in an instant, and Papyrus shook his head, shook his brother off.

“I’M OKAY,” he insisted. “REALLY.” He didn’t want Sans to think about it, any of it. If Sans thought about it, Papyrus would end up thinking too much about it too. He grinned and nudged his brother in the ribs, careful not to jostle his arm.

“i’m sorry,” Sans repeated, in earnest. “if i hadn’t gotten caught, if i’d figured out the door…”

“BROTHER.” Papyrus hated that Sans felt like this. It hurt.

“no, i’m serious bro,” Sans continued. “i-i, i can’t just run off at every chance, we, we gotta think it through, if…” He let out a tight sigh, then drew his knees up to his chest. He was looking at the plate on his hand again. “i-i’m sorry,” he mumbled. “you didn’t deserve… this.”

“NEITHER DO YOU,” Papyrus replied. He scootched over to sit right next by his brother. Sans leaned on his shoulder, until Pap lifted the arm to drape it over him. “I THINK… IT WAS A GOOD IDEA,” he said, pressing his head into Sans’ skull to hide his face.

“what, just running off?”

“THE TRYING TO ESCAPE IDEA,” Pap said. “IT’S A GOOD ONE.” His voice sounded muffled, with his face squashed between the wall and Sans. “YOU… YOU HAVE LOTS OF GOOD IDEAS.”

“so d’you.” Sans looked over at him, then stretched out one of his hands in front of them. Papyrus looked too. “they are kinda small, huh? maybe i shoulda tried them both.”

Papyrus giggled. “THEY’RE ITTY BITTY,” he agreed. “THEY PROBABLY HAVEN’T GROWN SINCE WE LEFT OUR TUBES.”

“they’re not that tiny!” Sans protested. But he snickered, and Papyrus laughed with him. Sans was small enough that Pap could easily lift him and set him on his lap, so he did. His brother just leaned back and kept his left hand stretched out, examining it. Not saying anything.

“ARE YOU TIRED?” Papyrus leaned back to sit more in the corner.

“yeah.” Sans set his hand in his lap. “you getting tired, bro?” Papyrus nodded, he was. “ok. g’night, then.” Sans closed his eyes and nestled in against him.

“GOODNIGHT BROTHER.” Papyrus hugged him a little closer, careful not to bump or twist his hurting arm. It felt a little better, here with Sans. He focused on that feeling, the warmth of their magic, the familiar weight of Sans’ head on his sternum. He closed his eyes and leaned back, and let himself pretend to feel a little safe here. Here with his brother. It almost did feel safe, in that way. He smiled as he drifted to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if I'm completely happy with the way this one turned out, character interaction wise, but nothing in my readthrough actually feels wrong, so... here you are. Another little bit of fluff
> 
> Let these children be happy


End file.
